AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

There are currently seven members that serve on the Blinn Junior College District Board of Trustees. While Blinn College has four district campuses and its service areas include Burleson, Brazos, Madison, Grimes, Waller, and Washington counties, all seven members on the current Blinn board of trustees are from Washington County. The current board make-up has created a situation where Blinn's largest campus, which contributes millions of dollars in tuition-based revenue and has more than five times as many students as the next largest campus, has no representation.

 

H.B. 2621 adds to the Blinn Board of Trustees two members appointed by the commissioners court of each county with a branch campus of the district with a student enrollment of greater than 10,000. These new board members may participate in any of the board's decision-making processes except for those related to the imposition of taxes or the distribution of revenue related to the imposition of taxes.

 

H.B. 2621 amends current law relating to the board of trustees of the Blinn Junior College District.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 130, Education Code, by adding Section 130.0827, as follows:

 

Sec. 130.0827. ADDITIONAL TRUSTEES FOR BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT. (a) Requires the commissioners court of each county in which a branch campus of the Blinn Junior College District (district) with a student enrollment greater than 10,000 is located, notwithstanding any other law, in addition to the members of the board of trustees of the district elected or appointed under other provisions of this subchapter, to appoint two members to serve on the district's board of trustees.

 

(b) Provides that members of the board of trustees appointed under this section serve staggered six-year terms, with the term of one member expiring on February 1 every three years.

 

(b-1) Requires the commissioners court, in appointing the initial members under this section, to designate one of the members to serve a term expiring February 1, 2018, and the other member to serve a term expiring February 1, 2021. Provides that this subsection expires January 1, 2022.

 

(c) Authorizes members of the board of trustees appointed under this section to participate in the decision-making of the board to the same extent as any other member of the board except that members of the board appointed under this section by the commissioners court of a county that is not located in the Blinn Junior College District:

 

(1) may participate in the decision-making of the board only in matters not related to the imposition of a tax or the distribution of revenue raised from a tax; and

 

(2) are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum of the board is present only for the purpose of Subdivision (1).

 

SECTION 2. Requires the commissioners court of each county to which Section 130.0827, Education Code, as added by this Act, applies to appoint the initial members of the board of trustees of the Blinn Junior College District under that section not later than December 31, 2015.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2015.